The Orchestra Plaza

Concept: This plaza 10,000 sq. meter plaza is surrounded by the National Theatre and Concert House, and was built with the intention of bringing a sense of joy to the public on an everyday basis. The Plaza functions like a sculpture and/or public piece of artwork.

Challenge: Keeping the level of light low and intimate and well-integrated with the sculptural elements of the Plaza. In addition, the Plaza required complementary light for the geometrical shapes of the design while maintaining its in-depth topography at night.

Solution: The RTLD team leveraged the light emanating from the main building surrounding the Plaza. We used this source of light to create a “light follow form” atmosphere where the pool and garden stairs served as the center of the Plaza, and they were subsequently lit with LED linear lights. The lines of trees, dispersed groups of trees and center grid of trees were lit from below according to the architectural geometry of each group. This emphasized these areas within the Plaza and envoked a sense of growth. The light repetition within the sculptural elements of the gates brings light to the more vast, open areas of the square and completes the overall 3-point light foci of the Plaza.